Hydrogen-bonding Motifs Research Articles

Hydroxytricyanoborate Anion: Synthetic Aspects and Structural, Chemical, and Spectroscopic Properties.

In recent years, salts of the hydridotricyanoborate anion [BH(CN)3]- (MHB) have become readily available. In spite of the unusually high stability of the MHB anion, it can be used as a valuable starting material for the preparation of selected tricyanoborates, for example, the boron-centered nucleophile B(CN)32-. A further unprecedented example is the hydroxytricyanoborate anion [B(OH)(CN)3]- that is accessible by oxidation of (H3O)MHB with elemental bromine in water. The Brønsted acid (H3O)[B(OH)(CN)3] was isolated as a crystalline solid. It serves as a versatile starting material for the synthesis of coordination compounds, metal salts, and ionic liquids. The [B(OH)(CN)3]- anion shows a rich coordination chemistry and a high tendency to form hydrogen-bonded motifs as demonstrated by a series of salts with different types of cations. Furthermore, the [B(OH)(CN)3]- anion itself serves as starting material for new tricyanoborates such as the unusual trianion [B{OB(CN)3}3]3- and the silylated anions [B(OSiR3)(CN)3]- (R = Me, Et, Ph). Some of these follow-up products have been characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, e.g., [nBu4N]3[B{OB(CN)3}3] and [nBu4N][B(OSiPh3)(CN)3].

Mechanochemical synthesis and X-ray structural characterization of three 3-nitrophenol cocrystals with three aminal cage azaadamantanes: the role of the stereoelectronic effect on intermolecular hydrogen-bonding patterns.

The structures of the cocrystalline adducts of 3-nitrophenol (3-NP) with 1,3,5,7-tetraazatricyclo[3.3.1.13,7]decane [HMTA, (1)] as the 2:1:1 hydrate, 2C6H5NO3·C6H12N4·H2O, (1a), with 1,3,6,8-tetraazatricyclo[4.3.1.13,8]undecane [TATU (2)] as the 2:1 cocrystal, 2C6H5NO3·C7H14N4, (2a), and with 1,3,6,8-tetraazatricyclo[4.4.1.13,8]dodecane [TATD, (3)] as the 2:1 cocrystal, 2C6H5NO3·C8H16N4, (3a), are reported. In the binary crystals (2a) and (3a), the 3-nitrophenol molecules are linked via O-H...N hydrogen bonds into aminal cage azaadamantanes. In (1a), the structure is stabilized by O-H...N and O-H...O hydrogen bonds, and generates ternary cocrystals. There are C-H...O hydrogen bonds present in all three cocrystals, and in (1a), there are also C-H...O and C-H...π interactions present. The presence of an ethylene bridge in the structures of (2) and (3) defines the formation of a hydrogen-bonded motif in the supramolecular architectures of (2a) and (3a). The differences in the C-N bond lengths of the aminal cage structures, as a result of hyperconjugative interactions and electron delocalization, were analysed. These three cocrystals were obtained by the solvent-free assisted grinding method. Crystals suitable for single-crystal X-ray diffraction were grown by slow evaporation from a mixture of hexanes.

Self-Assembly Motifs of Water in Crystals of Palladium β-Amino Acid Complexes Influenced by Methyl Substitution on the Amino Acid Backbone

Amino acid complexes of transition metals show interesting hydrogen-bonding motifs. In this paper, the syntheses and structures of three β-amino acid complexes of palladium that differ only by the substitution on the β-carbon will be discussed. With only hydrogen on the β-carbon, no additional water is incorporated into the crystal lattice and hydrogen-bonding is all complex-to-complex. With the addition of one and two methyl groups on the amino acid β-carbon, water is incorporated into the crystal lattice giving intricate water networks held together by complex-to-water and water-to-water hydrogen-bonding networks.

Tuning the Strength of the Resonance-Assisted Hydrogen Bond in Acenes and Phenacenes with Two o-Hydroxyaldehyde Groups-The Importance of Topology.

The fact that intramolecular resonance-assisted hydrogen bonds (RAHBs) are stronger than conventional ones is attributed to the partial delocalization of the π-electrons within the hydrogen bond (HB) motif, the so-called quasi-ring. If an aromatic ring is involved in the formation of the RAHB, previous studies have shown that there is an interplay between aromaticity and HB strength. Moreover, in 1,3-dihydroxyaryl-2-aldehydes, some of us found that the position of the quasi-ring formed by the substituents interacting through RAHB influences the strength of the H bonding, the HBs being stronger when a kinked-like structure is generated by formation of the quasi-ring. In this work, we explore this concept further by considering a set of acenes and phenacenes of different sizes with two o-hydroxyaldehyde substituents. Calculations with the CAM-B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) + GD3B method show that for long acenes or phenacenes, once the substituent effect loses importance because quasi-rings are pulled apart far from each other, the different topologies rule the HB distances. This fact can be explained in most cases using an extended Clar's aromatic π-sextet model. In some kinked systems, however, the justification from the Clar model has to be complemented by taking into account the repulsion between hydrogen atoms. Triphenylene-like compounds with different numbers of benzene rings have been studied, finding out a very good relationship between aromaticity of the ipso- and quasi-rings with the RAHB distances. This result confirms the importance of the communication of the π-systems of the ipso- and quasi-rings.

Crystal structures and hydrogen-bonding analysis of a series of solvated ammonium salts of molybdenum(II) chloride clusters.

Charge-assisted hydrogen bonding plays a significant role in the crystal structures of solvates of ionic com-pounds, especially when the cation or cations are primary ammonium salts. We report the crystal structures of four ammonium salts of molybdenum halide cluster solvates where we observe significant hydrogen bonding between the solvent molecules and cations. The crystal structures of bis-(anilinium) octa-μ3-chlorido-hexa-chlorido-octa-hedro-hexa-molybdate N,N-di--methyl-formamide tetra-solvate, (C6H8N)2[Mo6Cl8Cl6]·4C3H7NO, (I), p-phenyl-enedi-ammonium octa-μ3-chlorido-hexa-chlorido-octa-hedro-hexa-mol-yb-date N,N-di-methyl-formamide hexa-solvate, (C6H10N2)[Mo6Cl8Cl6]·6C3H7NO, (II), N,N'-(1,4-phenyl-ene)bis-(propan-2-iminium) octa-μ3-chlorido-hexa-chlo-rido-octa-hedro-hexa-molybdate acetone tris-olvate, (C12H18N2)[Mo6Cl8Cl6]·3C3H6O, (III), and 1,1'-dimethyl-4,4'-bipyridinium octa-μ3-chlo-rido-hexa-chlorido-octa-hedro-hexa-molybdate N,N-di-methyl-formamide tetra-solvate, (C12H14N2)[Mo6Cl8Cl6]·4C3H7NO, (IV), are reported and described. In (I), the anilinium cations and N,N-di-methyl-formamide (DMF) solvent mol-ecules form a cyclic R 4 2(8) hydrogen-bonded motif centered on a crystallographic inversion center with an additional DMF mol-ecule forming a D(2) inter-action. The p-phenyl-enedi-ammonium cation in (II) forms three D(2) inter-actions between the three N-H bonds and three independent N,N-di-methyl-formamide mol-ecules. The dication in (III) is a protonated Schiff base solvated by acetone mol-ecules. Compound (IV) contains a methyl viologen dication with N,N-di-methyl-formamide mol-ecules forming close contacts with both aromatic and methyl H atoms.

Graphitic carbon nitride (g‐C3N4) reinforced polymer nanocomposite systems—A review

AbstractResearch on polymer matrix‐enhancement using a carbon nanomaterial as the high‐potential filler has attracted considerable attention to meet the increasing demand for advanced polymer composites which show promising applications in a wide variety of fields. Graphitic carbon nitride (g‐C3N4) is the most stable allotrope of carbon nitrides and its inherent electron‐rich properties, basic surface functionalities, and hydrogen bond motifs make it a potential candidate in catalysis and in other fields. This article reviews a new application of graphitic carbon nitride (g‐C3N4) as a reinforcement material into polymer composites. It focuses on the enhancement of tribological, thermomechanical, self‐healing, anticorrosion, and flame‐retardant properties hybrid composite materials via the incorporation of g‐C3N4 filler. The leading purpose of this review is to stress the significance of g‐C3N4 as a reinforcement material in polymer composites.

Thermoreversible Supramolecular Networks from Poly(trimethylene Carbonate) Synthesized by Condensation with Triuret and Tetrauret

In this work, poly(trimethylene carbonate) (PTMC)-based multiarm supramolecular polymers bearing self-complementary triuret and tetrauret hydrogen-bonding motifs (HBMs) at the chain ends were synth...

Crystal structure and energetic features of the cocrystal of carbamazepine with 3,5-dinitrobenzoic acid.

The synthesis and detailed description of the crystal structure and energetic features of the 1:1 cocrystal of carbamazepine (5H-dibenzo[b,f]azepine-5-carboxamide, CBZ) with 3,5-dinitrobenzoic acid (35DNBA), i.e. C15H12N2O·C7H4N2O6, are reported. The CBZ and 35DNBA molecules are packed in alternately arranged layers. Two characteristic R22(8) and R22(16) hydrogen-bond ring motifs have been found. The supramolecular architecture, besides the network of hydrogen bonds, is also stabilized by numerous C-H...π, C=O...π, N-O...π, N-O...C and C=O...N weak intermolecular contacts involving neighbouring molecules in the crystal network. Identified interactions have been discussed in detail on the basis of a structural and energetic analysis. The latter approach, performed using the Pixel and CrystalExplorer programs, yielded additional information about the lattice energy and energetic landscape of the respective interactions in the crystal of CBZ·3DNBA with the evaluation of electrostatic, polarization, repulsion and dispersion terms.

A novel ligand transfer reaction: Transferring an N3-donor amine ligand from Ni(II) to Cu(II)—structural, spectral, theoretical, and docking studies

Two complexes of N1-(2-aminoethyl)propane-1,3-diamine (AEPD), [Ni(AEPD)2](NO3)2 (1) and [Cu2( μ-Cl)2(AEPD)2](NO3)2·2H2O (2), are prepared and identified by elemental analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and UV–Vis spectroscopy, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction (for 2). Spectral and structural data reveal that the AEPD ligand transfers from nickel to copper in the reaction between 1 and copper chloride. All coordination modes of the AEPD-based ligands are studied by analysis of the Cambridge Structural Database. The nickel atom in 1 has octahedral geometry (NiN6) while X-ray structure analysis revealed that the copper atom in the binuclear structure of 2 has an elongated square-pyramidal geometry with a CuN3OCl2 environment. In the crystal network of 2, water molecules and cationic complex units along with the nitrate ions form different hydrogen bond motifs. The thermodynamic stability of the compounds and their charge distribution patterns is studied by density functional theory and natural bond orbital analysis. The ability of AEPD and its complexes to interact with 10 selected biomacromolecules is investigated by docking calculations.

Hydrogen-Bonding Motifs and Proton-Transfer Dynamics in Electronically Excited 6-Hydroxy-2-formylfulvene.

To elucidate low-barrier hydrogen-bonding (LBHBing) motifs and their ramifications for hydron-migration dynamics, the Ã1B2-X̃1A1 (π* ← π) absorption system of 6-hydroxy-2-formylfulvene (HFF) and its monodeuterated isotopolog (HFF-d) has been probed under free-jet expansion conditions through synergistic application of fluorescence-based laser spectroscopy and quantum-chemical calculations. Neither the donor-acceptor distance nor the proton-transfer barrier is predicted to change markedly between the X̃1A1 and Ã1B2 manifolds, yet a radical alteration in the nature of the reaction coordinate, whereby the planar (C2v) transition-state configuration of the former is supplanted by a notably aplanar (C2) form in the latter, is suggested to take place following π* ← π electron promotion (owing, in part, to attendant rearrangements of π-electron conjugation about the molecular framework). In contrast to the strongly perturbed vibrational landscape (commensurate with LBHBing) reported for the X̃1A1 potential surface, the present measurements have revealed surprisingly regular patterns of Ã1B2 vibronic structure which are devoid of obvious band shifts/splittings that would be indicative of efficient proton-transfer processes. Detailed analyses enabled a total of 41 (6) and 28 (5) excited-state vibrational levels (fundamentals) to be assigned for HFF and HFF-d, with extensive activity found for modes involving displacement of the seven-membered chelate ring that harbors the O-H···O reaction center. Quantitative simulations of partially resolved rotational contours for the HFF origin band showed the transition dipole moment to possess hybrid type-a/b character, thereby allowing the tunneling-induced bifurcation of the vibrationless Ã1B2 level to be extracted, Δ0Ã = 0.119(11) cm-1. This represents an enormous (>1000-fold) decrease over the analogous ground-state metric and implies a pronounced quenching of excited-state hydron migration, in keeping with the kinematic penalties that would be exacted by requisite heavy-atom motion along a putatively aplanar reaction coordinate.

Untangling Hydrogen Bond Networks with Ion Mobility Spectrometry and Quantum Chemical Calculations: A Case Study on H+XPGG.

Ion mobility spectrometry-mass spectrometry and quantum chemical calculations are used to determine the structures and stabilities of singly protonated XaaProGlyGly peptides: H+DPGG, H+NPGG, H+EPGG, and H+QPGG. The IMS distributions are similar, suggesting the peptides adopt closely related structures in the gas phase. Quantum chemical calculations show that all conformers seen in the experimental spectrum correspond to the cis configuration about the Xaa-Pro peptide bond, significantly different from the behavior seen previously for H+GPGG. Density functional theory and quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM) investigations uncover a silent drama as a minor conformer not observed in the H+DPGG spectrum becomes the preferred conformer in H+QPGG, with both conformers being coincident in collision cross section. Investigation of the highly coupled hydrogen bond network, replete with CH···O interactions and bifurcated hydrogen bonds, reveals the cause of this effect as well as the absence of trans conformers from the spectra. A series of generalized observations are provided to aid in enzyme and ligand design using these coupled hydrogen bond motifs.

Water-Mediated Selenium Hydrogen-Bonding in Proteins: PDB Analysis and Gas-Phase Spectroscopy of Model Complexes.

High-resolution X-ray crystallography and two-dimensional NMR studies demonstrate that water-mediated conventional hydrogen-bonding interactions (N-H···N, O-H···N, etc.) bridging two or more amino acid residues contribute to the stability of proteins and protein-ligand complexes. In this work, we have investigated single water-mediated selenium hydrogen-bonding interactions (unconventional hydrogen-bonding) between amino acid residues in proteins through extensive protein data bank (PDB) analysis coupled with gas-phase spectroscopy and quantum chemical calculation of a model complex consisting of indole, dimethyl selenide, and water. Here, indole and dimethyl selenide represent the amino acid residues tryptophan and selenomethionine, respectively. The current investigation demonstrates that the most stable structure of the model complex observed in the IR spectroscopy mimics single water-mediated selenium hydrogen-bonded structural motifs present in the crystal structures of proteins. The present work establishes that water-mediated Se hydrogen-bonding interactions are ubiquitous in proteins and the number of these interactions observed in the PDB is more than that of direct Se hydrogen-bonds present there.

Computational, crystallographic studies, cytotoxicity and anti-tubercular activity of substituted 7-methoxy-indolizine analogues.

Indolizines are heteroaromatic compounds, and their synthetic analogues have reportedly showed promising pharmacological properties. In this study, a series of synthetic 7-methoxy-indolizine derivatives were synthesised, characterised and evaluated for in vitro whole-cell anti-tuberculosis (TB) screening against susceptible (H37Rv) and multi-drug-resistant (MDR) strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) using the resazurin microplate assay method. The cytotoxicity was evaluated using the MTT assay. In silico molecular-docking study was conducted for compounds 5a-j against enoyl-[acyl-carrier] protein reductase, a key enzyme of the type II fatty acid synthesis that has attracted much interest for the development of novel anti-TB compounds. Thereafter, molecular dynamic (MD) simulation was undertaken for the most active inhibitors. Compounds 5i and 5j with the methoxy functional group at the meta position of the benzoyl group, which was at the third position of the indolizine nucleus, demonstrated encouraging anti-TB activity against MDR strains of MTB at 16 μg/mL. In silico studies showed binding affinity within the range of 7.07–8.57 kcal/mol, with 5i showing the highest binding affinity. Hydrogen bonding, π-π- interactions, and electrostatic interactions were common with the active site. Most of these interactions occurred with the catalytic amino acids (Pro193, Tyr158, Phe149, and Lys165). MD simulation showed that 5j possessed the highest binding affinity toward the enzyme, according to the two calculation methods (MM/PBSA and MM/GBSA). The single-crystal X-ray studies of compounds 5c and 5d revealed that the molecular arrangements in these two structures were mostly guided by C-H···O hydrogen-bonded dimeric motifs and C-H···N hydrogen bonds, while various secondary interactions (such as π···π and C-H···F) also contributed to crystal formation. Compounds 5a, 5c, 5i, and 5j exhibited no toxicity up to 500 μg/mL. In conclusion, 5i and 5j are promising anti-TB compounds that have shown high affinity based on docking and MD simulation results.

Crystal structure of zymonic acid and a redetermination of its precursor, pyruvic acid.

The structure of zymonic acid (systematic name: 4-hy-droxy-2-methyl-5-oxo-2,5-di-hydro-furan-2-carb-oxy-lic acid), C6H6O5, which had previously eluded crystallographic determination, is presented here for the first time. It forms by intra-molecular condensation of parapyruvic acid, which is the product of aldol condensation of pyruvic acid. A redetermination of the crystal structure of pyruvic acid (systematic name: 2-oxo-propanoic acid), C3H4O3, at low temperature (90 K) and with increased precision, is also presented [for the previous structure, see: Harata et al. (1977 ▸). Acta Cryst. B33, 210-212]. In zymonic acid, the hy-droxy-lactone ring is close to planar (r.m.s. deviation = 0.0108 Å) and the dihedral angle between the ring and the plane formed by the bonds of the methyl and carb-oxy-lic acid carbon atoms to the ring is 88.68 (7)°. The torsion angle of the carb-oxy-lic acid group relative to the ring is 12.04 (16)°. The pyruvic acid mol-ecule is almost planar, having a dihedral angle between the carb-oxy-lic acid and methyl-ketone groups of 3.95 (6)°. Inter-molecular inter-actions in both crystal structures are dominated by hydrogen bonding. The common R 2 2(8) hydrogen-bonding motif links carb-oxy-lic acid groups on adjacent mol-ecules in both structures. In zymonic acid, this results in dimers about a crystallographic twofold of space group C2/c, which forces the carb-oxy-lic acid group to be disordered exactly 50:50, which scrambles the carbonyl and hydroxyl groups and gives an apparent equalization of the C-O bond lengths [1.2568 (16) and 1.2602 (16) Å]. The other hydrogen bonds in zymonic acid (O-H⋯O and weak C-H⋯O), link mol-ecules across a 21-screw axis, and generate an R 2 2(9) motif. These hydrogen-bonding inter-actions propagate to form extended pleated sheets in the ab plane. Stacking of these zigzag sheets along c involves only van der Waals contacts. In pyruvic acid, inversion-related mol-ecules are linked into R 2 2(8) dimers, with van der Waals inter-actions between dimers as the only other inter-molecular contacts.

Syntheses and crystal structures of metal (Mn, Co, Ni) chloride complexes with 3-hydroxypyridin-2-one and contribution of O[sbnd]H⋯Cl hydrogen bonds to their structural diversity

Reactions of MCl2·nH2O (M = Mn, Co, Ni) and 3-hydroxypyridin-2-one (dhpyH2 = C5H5NO2) afforded novel molecular complexes [MCl2(dhpyH2)4] (M = Mn (1), Co (3)) and binuclear [Co2Cl2(µ-Cl)2(dhpyH2)2(MeCN)2] (4), as well as ionic complexes [M(dhpyH2)4(ROH)2]Cl2·2ROH (R = Et, M = Co (6), Ni (8); R = Me, M = Ni (9)), and [Ni(dhpyH2)4(MeOH)2]Cl2 (10). In addition, two cocrystals, namely [MCl2(dhpyH2)4][M(dhpyH2)4L2]Cl2·S, (M = Mn, L = H2O, S = 4THF (2), M = Co, L = MeOH, S = 2MeOH (5)) were prepared. Single crystal X-ray analyses reveal two modes of 3-hydroxypyridin-2-one ligation; a chelate coordination to central cobalt ion in binuclear complex 4 and a monodentate coordination in complexes 1–3, 5, 6, 8–10. The monodentate coordination of four 3-hydroxypyridin-2-one molecules to central ion is favored due to the stabilization by strong intramolecular hydrogen bonds and formation of a macrocycle resembling 16-membered crown ethers. Coordination modes of 3-hydroxypyridin-2-one, ancillary ligands and solvate molecules determine connectivity patterns in crystal structures. Various hydrogen-bonding motifs and off-center parallel stacking arrangements of coordinated 3-hydroxypyridin-2-one molecules result in layered (4, 6, 8, 9) and 3D structures (1–3, 5, 10). Coordinated or free chloride ions are in some complexes the only (and in other complexes, prevailing) acceptors of intermolecular hydrogen bonds. A variety of D–H⋯Cl (D = O, N) geometries of hydrogen bonds in complexes is investigated. Chloride ions are in the majority of these complexes concomitantly engaged as acceptors in two hydrogen bonds, if coordinated to metal ions, and in three hydrogen bonds, if not ligated.

FragLites-Minimal, Halogenated Fragments Displaying Pharmacophore Doublets. An Efficient Approach to Druggability Assessment and Hit Generation.

Identifying ligand binding sites on proteins is a critical step in target-based drug discovery. Current approaches to this require resource-intensive screening of large libraries of lead-like or fragment molecules. Here, we describe an efficient and effective experimental approach to mapping interaction sites using a set of halogenated compounds expressing paired hydrogen-bonding motifs, termed FragLites. The FragLites identify productive drug-like interactions, which are identified sensitively and unambiguously by X-ray crystallography, exploiting the anomalous scattering of the halogen substituent. This mapping of protein interaction surfaces provides an assessment of druggability and can identify efficient start points for the de novo design of hit molecules incorporating the interacting motifs. The approach is illustrated by mapping cyclin-dependent kinase 2, which successfully identifies orthosteric and allosteric sites. The hits were rapidly elaborated to develop efficient lead-like molecules. Hence, the approach provides a new method of identifying ligand sites, assessing tractability and discovering new leads.

Hydrogen bonding in two benzene-1,2-diaminium pyridine-2-carboxylate salts and a cocrystal of benzene-1,2-diamine and benzoic acid.

The isostructural salts benzene-1,2-diaminium bis(pyridine-2-carboxylate), 0.5C6H10N22+·C6H4NO2-, (1), and 4,5-dimethylbenzene-1,2-diaminium bis(pyridine-2-carboxylate), 0.5C8H14N22+·C6H4NO2-, (2), and the 1:2 benzene-1,2-diamine-benzoic acid cocrystal, 0.5C6H8N2·C7H6O2, (3), are reported. All of the compounds exhibit extensive N-H...O hydrogen bonding that results in interconnected rings. O-H...N hydrogen bonding is observed in (3). Additional π-π and C-H...π interactions are found in each compound. Hirshfeld and fingerprint plot analyses reveal the primary intermolecular interactions and density functional theory was used to calculate their strengths. Salt formation by (1) and (2), and cocrystallization by (3) are rationalized by examining pKa differences. The R22(9) hydrogen-bonding motif is common to each of these structures.

Two single-enantiomer amidophosphoesters: a database study on the chirality of (O)2P(O)(N)-based structures.

The crystal structures of two single-enantiomer amidophosphoesters with an (O)2P(O)(N) skeleton, i.e. diphenyl [(R)-(+)-α-methylbenzylamido]phosphate, (I), and diphenyl [(S)-(-)-α-methylbenzylamido]phosphate, (II), both C20H20NO3P, are reported. In both structures, chiral one-dimensional hydrogen-bonded architectures, along [010], are mediated by N-H...OP interactions. The statistically identical assemblies include the noncentrosymmetric graph-set motif C(4) and the compounds crystallize in the chiral space group P21. As a result of synergistic co-operation from C-H...O interactions, a two-dimensional superstructure is built including a noncentrosymmetric R44(22) hydrogen-bonded motif. A Cambridge Structural Database survey was performed on (O)2P(O)(N)-based structures in order to review the frequency of space groups observed in this family of compounds; the hydrogen-bond motifs in structures with chiral space groups and the types of groups inducing chirality are discussed. The 2,3JX-P (X = H or C) coupling constants from the NMR spectra of (I) and (II) have been studied. In each compound, the two diastereotopic C6H5O groups are different, which is reflected in the different chemical shifts and some coupling constants.

Synthesis and crystal structures of some bis(3-methyl-1H-indol-2-yl)(salicyl)methanes.

Four 2,2'-bisindolylmethanes (BIMs), a useful class of polyindolyl species joined to a central carbon, were synthesized using salicylaldehyde derivatives and simple acid catalysis; these are 2-[bis(3-methyl-1H-indol-2-yl)methyl]-6-methylphenol, (IIa), 2-[bis(3-methyl-1H-indol-2-yl)methyl]-4,6-dichlorophenol, (IIb), 2-[bis(3-methyl-1H-indol-2-yl)methyl]-4-nitrophenol, (IIc), and 2-[bis(3-methyl-1H-indol-2-yl)methyl]-4,6-di-tert-butylphenol, (IId). BIMs (IIa) and (IIb) were characterized crystallographically as the dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) disolvates, i.e. C26H24N2O·2C2H6OS and C25H20Cl2N2O·2C2H6OS, respectively. Both form strikingly similar one-dimensional hydrogen-bonding chain motifs with the DMSO solvent molecules. BIM (IIa) packs into double layers of chains whose orientations alternate every double layer, while (IIb) forms more simply packed chains along the a axis. BIM (IIa) has a remarkably long c axis.

Novel M4 positive allosteric modulators derived from questioning the role and impact of a presumed intramolecular hydrogen-bonding motif in β-amino carboxamide-harboring ligands

This letter describes a focused exercise to explore the role of the β-amino carboxamide moiety found in all of the first generation M4 PAMs and question if the NH2 group served solely to stabilize an intramolecular hydrogen bond (IMHB) and enforce planarity. To address this issue (and to potentially find a substitute for the β-amino carboxamide that engendered P-gp and contributed to solubility liabilities), we removed the NH2, generating des-amino congeners and surveyed other functional groups in the β-position. These modifications led to weak M4 PAMs with poor DMPK properties. Cyclization of the β-amino carboxamide moiety by virtue of a pyrazole ring re-enforced the IMHB, led to potent (and patented) M4 PAMs, many as potent as the classical bicyclic β-amino carboxamide analogs, but with significant CYP1A2 inhibition. Overall, this exercise indicated that the β-amino carboxamide moiety most likely facilitates an IMHB, and is essential for M4 PAM activity within classical bicyclic M4 PAM scaffolds.